Protesting Valentine's Day
by Danimister
Summary: Lily Evans hates Valentine's Day. She Absolutely loathes it. But James Potter has set his mind to changing her opinion of the most romantic day of the year...


A/N: So, this was inspired by an argument I had with my friend this morning. (She came to school wearing ALL pink. And she passes herself of as GOTH! Seriously. It's pathetic.) She said V-day was the best holiday, and I said I was protesting it. (I wore all black for the first time in my life) Here ya go!

**I'm Protesting Valentine's Day**

_Saturdayy, February 14th_

_Dear Diary,_

_I hate Valentine's Day. Really, I do. In fact, I think I'm going to protest it. Yes. From now on, Lily Evans is protesting Valentine's Day. It's a stupid holiday, anyway. I mean, it was inspired by the god Cupid (or Eros, depending on whether you look at the Greeks or Romans), the god of erotic love, son of Aphrodite (Goddess of sex, who cheated on her poor husband), who flew around naked. I don't get it._

_Plus, on Valentine's Day, all the girls with boyfriends go around ALL DAY with bouquets of roses and giant teddy bears that are charmed to sing love songs every five minutes. What do the rest of us do? Sit and watch. Yeah, maybe I'm just a bitter hag cause I don't HAVE a boyfriend. Either way, I'm still protesting Valentine's Day._

_Lily Evans_

"Merlin, Lily, stop looking so glum!! It's Valentine's Day! Y'know, day of love and happiness?" Alice shoved her glum-faced friend.

"Yeah, but I'm not feeling loving or happy." Lily glared into her pink-tinted pumpkin juice.

"Well cheer up! Everybody else is in the spirit!"

Lily looked up. Sure enough, nearly every student was dressed in pink or red (white in the Slytherin boy's case), and had an expression of bliss on their face. Couples all over the Great Hall snuggled together, whispering and exchanging overpriced gifts.

"Yeah, well I have no spirit. I'm protesting Valentine's Day."

"Protesting V-day, Lily? Is it possible to protest a day?"

"Go away, Potter," Lily once again glared into her breakfast, forcefully stirring it with a fork.

"Why, Lily, I thought we'd gotten past using surnames."

"Just because I agreed to stop arguing with you doesn't mean I'll be nice."

"But I'm trying so hard to get on your good side, Lils!"

"You want to get on my good side? Leave me alone!" Lily stood up and stomped out of the Great Hall, closely followed by Alice, who quickly shot James an apologetic look.

"Lily, what the bloody hell was that?" Alice hissed. "I thought you said he was beginning to grow on you!"

Lily sighed and slumped against the wall. "He is! Was. I don't know!"

"Well?" Alice cocked an eyebrow at her friend. "Do you _like_ him, Lil?"

Lily tilted her head back and closed her eyes. "I'm not sure. I like talking to him, and he's so sweet, but sometimes he just gets on my nerves!"

"But you DO like him?" Lily opened her eyes and smiled slightly.

"It's possible."

"And if he asked you out again, would you say yes?"

"It's possible."

"And if he asked you to marry him and bear his fourteen little children, would you say yes?"

"It's poss-ALICE!" Lily glared at her friend. "Jeez, Al, that's disgusting!"

"Thirteen?" Alice and Lily returned to the common room, laughing hysterically. As soon as they had turned the corner, James Potter stepped out of a nearby classroom, wearing an expression of absolute joy.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

_Dear Diary,_

_It's about five in the afternoon now. Alice left for Hogsmeade with Frank, and the rest of the girls in my dorm have either gone on dates or gone to flirt with the cute new employee at the bookstore. Most of the boys are gone too: Remus with Kathleen, Sirius with Jezzy, and Peter even went with some fifth year Hufflepuff. It's just me now. And all the first and second years, of course._

Lily sighed and banged her head against her pillow.

"Valentine's Day sucks!" She said loudly.

"Come on, Miss Evans, you can't REALLY think that!"

Lily turned. "James? How did you get up here?"

James grinned. "I'm a marauder, Lils. I can figure anything out."

Lily pulled a pillow over her head to hide her grin. "I don't doubt that."

Seconds later, she felt a slight tugging at the ends of her hair.

"What?" She groaned.

"Lily…Lily…Lily…"

"What do you want, Potter?"

"Take the pillow off your face? Please?"

Lily sighed. "Why?"

"Cause…"

She groaned once more and reluctantly peeked out from beneath the pillow. James stood smiling above her, a bouquet of roses in his hand.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going to change your mind about Valentine's Day, Lils."

"No you're not."

"Yes I am."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes. You know this is pointless, right?"

"Yeah." Lily smiled. "But it's fun."

"Get up."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Just get up Lils, before I hex you."

"Fine!"

She stood up. "Happy."

"Very much so."

"Why I am standing up, exactly?"

"Cause, I'm going to change your mind about Valentine's Day."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am. Just take these." He thrust the roses into Lily's hands, and she looked at them thoughtfully.

"They smell funny."

"They smell like roses, Lily."

"Well, roses smell funny."

"Just shut up and follow me."

_Ten Minutes Later_

"James?"

"What?"

"Why are we pacing in front of a wall?"

"Because." James continued to pace down a hallway, in front of a seemingly empty wall.

"But it's so-wow!" Lily gasped as a door appeared in the wall.

"See?"

"What is it?" Lily asked as James opened the door. He beckoned her in.

"Welcome, M'lady, to the Room of Requirement."

"What the-" Lily glanced around the room, confused. This room was in the middle of the castle, right? And Hogwarts had no courtyards in the middle of the school-let alone the third story…so why was it snowing?

"James."

"Yes, M'lady?"

"Why is it snowing?"

James smiled. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "January 27th, first year."

"What?" Was he insane?

"January 21st, first year. The first time you talked to me without it ending in a fight. You said you loved snow, and wished it snowed year-round."

"What do you have, photographic memory?"

"No, I just remember everything about you."

"Oh?" Lily smiled widely in spite of herself. "What else do you remember?"

"That your favorite food is Italian," he pointed to a small, cozy table in the corner, filled with trays of pasta, pizza, lasagna, and calzones, "you love ice skating," he pointed to a large, frozen pond, "and you love to dance."

As he finished his sentence, slow, romantic music began to play. James gently grasped Lily's hand, and wrapped his arm around her waist. They began swaying to the music, and Lily's breath caught in her throat. For the first time, she realized how very handsome James was. His glasses, instead of making him look nerdy, caused him to look more intelligent. Though she complained about his hair ruffling, she loved how it stuck up all over the place, as if it had a mind of its own. She thought his facial features were set in all the right places. He was tall, but not huge. Her head came right up to his chin, and their hands fit together perfectly. Impulsively, she leaned into him; her head lay delicately on his chest, and his chin rested gently on the top of her head.

They continued to sway to the music, their bodies moving in unison. They didn't even notice when the mysteriously invisible piano, violin, and oboe stopped playing, and continued to sway in silence.

Finally, Lily pulled away, looking up at James with a strange expression in her eyes.

"It stopped."

"So did we."

"Why?"

"You pulled away, not me."

"Well, I..I…"

James leaned down and kissed her. Lily almost pulled away, but thought better of it and returned his kiss. Her arms went up around his neck, and his around her waist. It was the best kiss Lily had ever had, and she truly wished it would never end. After what seemed like eternity, James pulled away. He rested his forehead on hers and chuckled.

"What?" Lily asked, annoyed at the interruption.

"I told you."

"Told me what?"

"That I'd change your mind about Valentine's Day."

"You know what, James? I think you might have."

Lily paused. "I'm still protesting April Fool's Day," she said, before leaning in for another kiss.


End file.
